An Offer Turned Down
"So sorry to let you down, everyone," Rafael sighed. "but Lise and I are on a caper."
The others groaned.
"A few of us are going to Hogsmeade tomorrow for the weekend." Lisa said.
Simon looked up at the clock.
"Look at the time! We'd better be hitting the sack if we don't want to be late for the Hogwarts Express tomorrow morning!" Simon exclaimed.
In his bedroom in Gryffindor Tower, Rafael had his pajamas on and was putting his guitar which was in its case away.
The next morning on the train, Rafael and Lisa made there way to their favorite compartment, they barely got there before the train started moving, sitting down they breathed collective sigh and relaxed back against the seat.
Suddenly, there was a crackling sound coming from under the seat.
The the seat began to heat up, Rafael and Lisa took one look at each other and jumped of the seat and over to the other side of the compartment, a split second the later, there was bang a flash of light and Rafael and Lisa were covered in bog slime with the glowing words 'Durmstrang rules and Hogwarts drools!' floating above them.
The trolley witch came running, her cart following at her heals.
When she stuck her head in the door she saw Lisa looking shocked and upset.
"Rafa, what is this, what happened?" Lisa cried, near tears at her now ruined new outfit.
"Oh! Merlin's beard," the angry trolley witch snapped, coming into the room. "it's that stupid prank war with Durmstrang again!"
"Prank war?" Rafael asked as he wiped slime out of his eyes.
The trolley witch nodded, "Every two to three decades right before the tournament, Hogwarts' students and Durmstrang's students seemed to wind up in prank war, the English channel isn't much of an obstacle to witches and wizards, especially the ones who can apparate!" she sighed.
The trolley witch then turned to Lisa.
"Is there anything at all you can do?" Lisa asked the trolley witch.
"There there, Deary," the trolley witch cooed. "do not worry we'll have you and this compartment spick-and-span in just a second."
With a flick of her wrist the room, Lisa and Rafael were clean again.
"Thank you," Lisa said. "I thought my new clothes were ruined."
"Advantages of magic, Deary." the kindly witch smiled.
"I thank you too." Rafael said.
To Rafael's surprise she responded in the secret language of his clan.
"Wow," Lisa exclaimed. "what was that, Rafael!"
"How did you know my clan's secret language?" Rafael asked the trolley witch.
The trolley witch smiled, "It's actually our clan, Deary, I'm a member of the northern european branch of the clan." she said, pulling her crystal and Moondance medallion out of her pocket.
"Well that explains a lot," Rafael said. "our branches of the clan haven't spoken together in a long time we should change that."
"Indeed we should," she smiled, "now you and your young lady go enjoy yourselves at Hogsmeade, I'll send a message to Dumbledore about this little 'Incident', he knows the headmaster of Durmstrang, and maybe together they can head off the prank war before Hogwarts ends up with sharks in the lake again!"
"Can Lisa and I each get a pumpkin pasty please?" Rafael asked.
"Sorry, Honey," the trolley witch said to Rafael. "but my trolley is bare."
"Don't worry," Lisa said to the trolley witch. "we'll help you restock while at Honeydukes."
"Thank you, Miss," the trolley witch said. "by the way, my name is Elsie."